Hello all! I am glad to see another Indian - Vinod, recently joined. I have been lurking around a bit but had never registered. Since some years I have been enjoying using a fountain pen for most of my work related writing at my desk. After writing with a decent fountain pen, somehow writing with anything else just seems... well - simply does not give the same satisfaction or pleasure really.

We also now are seeing some niche and decent fountain pen dedicated stores in India.

Welome. I also undstand that you make some nice pens in India that are virtually unobtainable here.

Hi Sandeep

Welcome to FPN.

I am from Chandigarh.

Good to have you on board.

Thanks. I am not aware really. I have only a few years back started using a fountain pen gifted to me. It is a very nice (IMO) gold /gold dust Dupont with 18kt gold nib, so I did not look out much more. In my younger days, yes we had to use fountain pens, but those were the cheaper Heros/Wilsons, etc. These new stores are carrying mostly imported pens.

Of course, Mont Blanc also have opened their stores in every major city and some jewellery stores now carry Dunhill, ST Dupont, etc. In the smaller stores were get Hero, Lamy, Caran D'ache, etc.

Maybe some other more knowledgeable Indians would be able to throw more light.

Welcome to FPN, Sandeep. Where in India are you from? I grew up in Assam and Meghalaya, but live in the US now. I learntto love with fountain pens in school, wehre we used "doctor" pens( manufactured in Kolkata,and some smuggled Chinese Wing Sung and Hero pens.

And looks like we have quite a few desis here on FPN. Both from India and also a few NRIs.

Hello and Welcome to FPN!!!

Hello Sandeep,

Welcome to FPN


regards,
Hari,
Mumbai.

Welcome Sandeep.

You can search on Ratnam and that should find you some of the threads about Indian pen brands.

Thanks guys ('n gals, if any) for the warm welcome. Vintage: Thanks for the tip. I am not in that part of pen country. If I do happen to go to Hyderabad, I will certainly look up the Guider and Ratnam pens and see if I can add to my collection. That blue one does look neat. They do not seem at all available or known in western parts of India.

Hi Sandeep and welcome from New York City!

Welcome Sandeep.

I just received some information by mail, including pictures, from Dr. K. V. Ramana Murty, of Ratnamson Pens in Rajamundry. I have used Wality pens, but am interested in ordering a Ratnam some time. The photos he sent have some beautiful ebonite pens featured.

Hello, everyone.

I had been to Rajahmundry last year and visited Guider and Ratnam & Sons stores. There is one more store by name Ratnam. I picked up some beautiful fountain pens there. On a trip to Chennai a couple of years ago I picked up a Wality FP and it writes well. There are a lot of people who make/used to make fountain pens in India and I am trying to gather information on them.

In my blog I have written a few posts on fountain pens. I write about fountain pens and a couple of my articles have been published in newspapers and magazines here.

It is so exciting to find several serious fountain pen lovers here on FPN. I hope to make new friends and also learn a lot about fountain pens here.

Any writers here?

Vinod

Hello Sandeep from a lover of fountain pens in not so sunny NJ!

Hi Sandeep,

I picked up some great used pens in Delhi (street traders around Connaught Place). You will be able to find some really good stuff if you ask around...

Hi from another warm place.

As I said earlier, I did ask around some friends/relatives and have recently got hold of and restored/serviced these:
1. unused gold Cross
2. unused Waterman - lacquer on brass - lacquer has come off in a few spots.
3. Heavily used Black Sheaffer
4. somewhat used silver but gold plated Dupont. It was in bad shape (tarnished/gummed up) , but the guy seems to have polished/cleaned it well. It seems to have some snorkel type hole in the feed. Can't even see a piston in the convertor, but a bit of water did come out when I turned the convertor knob around. A ribbed barrel and smooth cap.

I will now have to research what exactly these models are and decide which I wish to use/keep. I yet have to find the time to properly fill them and check for leaks, etc. The gold cross and dupont seem a bit ostentatious. On dipping, the cross seems a fine writer. But except for the Waterman, I am not happy with the way the way the cap fits. So for now if the Waterman is a decent writer, I will fill it with washable blue to carry around with me. The Sheaffer I may ask if my son wishes to use. The dupont and cross I may return since both would be quite expensive.

And now you want me to buy more pens...?

Welcome Sandeep. It does seem as though there are interesting pens to be had round your way.

Cheers,
Eric

Yes, quite old ones too. I found out (thanks to FPN!) that the cross is a century classic and some of these do have their share of problems. The Waterman is a CF with gold 'swan' wings. It is a very fine nib that is very scratchy and toothy - but does not skip or have any starting problems. Since it has been unused and it is an ultra fine nib, I have been advised to use it and let it settle down. It is a neat small and light pen. I simply cannot find much on the Dupont.

I might just return the Dupont and the Cross for more storage - maybe somebody else will use them after another 10-15 years!!

Hi
I am ratheesh from bengaluru. We have a very nice chain of fountainpen store chain by name william penn across the country. Hope the companies like luxor and other companies should promote fountainpens through ads or pen shows. India can be potential market for fountain pens.

Hi Ratheesh! Welcome to FPN.

Welcome aboard!.